


Beard

by fuckthenaysayers



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Beards, Comfort, Insecurity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 19:52:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2321330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckthenaysayers/pseuds/fuckthenaysayers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was supposed to be focusing on food and conversation, but all he could do was stare at his lovers' faces. His eyes jumped from Gavin's thick stubble to Geoff's curled stache, from Jack's full beard to Ray's trimmed one. Even Ryan was already getting back his 5 o'clock shadow already; and here Michael sat as smooth-faced as he'd been as a child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beard

Michael stared in the mirror, scowling at his reflection. His eyes wandered over his visage, taking in his eyebrows and eyes, his nose and lips, and then finally focusing on the short, coarse hairs that poked out here and there around his mouth and jaw. The stubble was thin and light, an auburn dusting over his upper lip and chin. For most men, they'd equate it to the first beard they ever grew, that embarrassing wispy goatee so many teenage boys grew when they first started to get facial hair. But for Michael, this was the extent of what he could manage.

Rubbing his face, he felt the hairs scratch at his palm, wiry and unwilling to cooperate. This was a week's worth of growth. He contemplated for a moment keeping it and trying to grow it out more, but he'd done that many times since it first started coming in, and every time it never grew much past this state, so he just sighed and gave in, grabbing his razor to take care of it.

By the time he left the bathroom, he'd shaved and showered, clean and fresh-faced as he headed into the kitchen with just a towel around his waist. Jack and Geoff were there, Geoff in the middle of cooking up some eggs and Jack sitting at the island counter, a cup of coffee in one hand and his iPad in the other. He looked up when he saw Michael come in, smiling and beckoning him over, the two sharing a quick kiss before Michael went to grab himself some coffee too.

Geoff looked up from his cooking, grinning at Michael.

"Hey, look who's in the land of the living."

"I didn't sleep that much longer than everyone else..."

Michael mumbled into his coffee cup, Geoff chuckling a little.

"If you didn't have to wait in line to use the shower, than I'd say you did. Oh, shaved off your peach fuzz finally?"

"Oh did he, I hadn't noticed."

Jack looked up to inspect Michael's face, humming in response as he took in the clean-shaven look.

"Well, no point in keeping it, right?"

Michael said with a quiet, bitter laugh. Jack shrugged, his mouth quirked into an odd frown.

"I dunno, I think it's kinda cute when you have it."

"Well it'll be back in a week, so tough luck till then."

The curly-haired man grumbled, shuffling off to the bedroom with his coffee in hand. He passed by Gavin on the way, the Brit beaming at the sight of him.

"Good morning Michael! All showered up, eh?"

"Mm. Morning."

They exchanged a kiss, and Gavin took a sip of his coffee.

"Got rid of that silly stubble finally. I can't believe you don't shave it off the moment it starts, when my hair's that short it always gets so itchy for me!"

"Just lazy, I guess."

Michael had nothing more to say, inwardly sighing as he continued his short trek to the bedroom, drying off fully and pulling out some things to wear. He paused for a moment at the full length mirror they had on the door to the closet, staring at himself again. His point of interest this time was his chest, running a hand slowly over it and feeling the total smoothness. He blanked out for a moment before remembering what he was doing, shutting the closet door roughly and getting dressed.

\--

He was supposed to be focusing on food and conversation, but all he could do was stare at his lovers' faces. His eyes jumped from Gavin's thick stubble to Geoff's curled stache, from Jack's full beard to Ray's trimmed one. Even Ryan was already getting back his 5 o'clock shadow already; and here Michael sat as smooth-faced as he'd been as a child.

"Right, Michael?"

He jolted slightly, turning his gaze to Gavin who had just asked him something.

"Sorry, what dude?"

"Bloody hell, what's with you lately? You seem so spaced out."

"Nothing, sorry, I just have a headache."

Gavin frowned a bit but dropped it, changing the conversation to another topic as Michael kept his head down and picked at his food. He didn't seem any better by the time they got home, but he popped a couple aspirin and told them not to worry, Michael heading to bed early to try and feel better.

The morning was no better, if Michael was being honest. Again he found himself waking up late, spending a good portion of his Saturday morning staring at himself in the mirror, eventually getting in the shower and then joining the rest of his lovers in the dining room for breakfast.

"It's about time."

Ray mumbled as Michael walked in, the older of the two rolling his eyes as he settled into his chair, grabbing the bottle of orange juice from the table and pouring some into his glass.

"Sorry I'm not an early riser like the rest of you fucks."

He grumbled, the group chuckling at his grumpiness. Michael sipped his juice, glancing at his lovers and regretting it instantly. Everyone's facial hair was as thick as ever, so much it almost felt like they were rubbing it in his face. Ryan's 5 o'clock shadow had grown overnight into a light beard, Geoff had a thick layer of stubble to go with his moustache, and Gavin's stubble had turned into a proper short beard just from being left to grow for half a day. It was ridiculous, and unfair, and it just made Michael scowl into his cup.

A look of concern flashed across the other men's faces, taking short glances at each other while Michael grumbled and grabbed some food.

\--

It was hot. Not that hot was anything new for Texas, but as Michael sat on a pool chair mostly clothed, it was the first thing to come to mind. The rest of the guys were standing in front of him, pulling off their clothes and getting ready to hop in the pool in front of them. Michael sat in the chair with his knees pulled to his chest, still in his pool trunks and a sleeveless shirt. Jack looked over, concerned.

"You not gonna get in, Michael?"

"I will, I uh, just don't feel like it just yet."

Jack shrugged off the response, pulling off his shirt. Michael swallowed hard as he stared at the larger man. His entire stomach was coated with a dusting of dusky hair, starting at his chest and traveling downwards to even past his shorts. Of course it was no match for the pelt that Gavin sported, but it was still more than Michael had. Though Ray had nowhere near the rug Gavin did on his chest, his body made up for it with thick, dark hair all over his lower half and arms, and a dark treasure trail that started at his belly button.

All of them had a good amount of body hair in some way or another, and every time he looked at them, Michael just felt more and more inadequate. He had no facial hair, no chest hair; the hair on his legs and arms was light from constant time in the sun and wasn't very noticeable. It was a dumb thing to get himself feeling so insecure over, but it just kept popping up constantly in his mind.

The group got in the pool, and after a while Michael finally couldn't take the heat anymore and got up. He was just stepping in the shallow end when the other men turned to him.

"Michael, aren't you forgetting something?"

Ryan called out, Michael pausing and looking confused.

"Your shirt! You're still wearing your shirt."

"Oh. Whatever, I'll just swim in it then, don't wanna get out."

"Just toss it off, you mong! Don't bring your bloody shirt in here."

"What if I don't wanna fucking 'toss it off'?"

Michael put up air quotes as he mocked Gavin, the Brit grumbling and swimming over, grabbing at the hem of Michael's shirt and trying to take it off.

"Oh come on! It's not like we haven't seen it before! Flat, pale, and hairless, I can describe it just from memory!"

"Fuck off!"

Michael pushed Gavin off, his face flooding red, though it wasn't clear whether it was from anger or embarrassment. His fists were clenched, Michael turning around and stomping out of the pool as the other men looked on, confused. Jack spoke up, though his voice was soft and unsure.

"Michael, where are you going?"

"I've decided I don't fucking feel like swimming today. Have fun, assholes."

The curly-haired man grabbed his things and rushed out, leaving the rest of the men behind, confused and concerned.

\--

There wasn't much talking between them all that night. Michael was still steaming and everyone refused to be the one to make him burst, so he was left alone for the most part. Plenty of talking happened between the other five, just secretive enough to make Michael even more mad, because he was positive they were talking about him.

He didn't call them out, and instead just went to bed upset. He woke up to an empty bed as usual, and his anger mostly dwindled away. Heading into the bathroom, he relieved himself and washed up, this time hardly looking at himself in the mirror before heading out to where everyone else was. Hearing noise coming from the dining room, he headed inside before stilling, dead in his tracks in the middle of the doorway.

Gavin was the first one he saw. Gavin always had at least a slight amount of stubble on his face, but this morning it was bare. Clean-shaven. The Brit looked up, face brightening as he saw Michael and mumbling to the other men, who all turned to face him.

Ray was bare-faced too. Not quite as shocking, Ray restarted his beard every now and then, but still a surprise. Ryan was clean-shaven too, again not a crazy shock, but still not what he expected. The biggest shocks were Geoff and Jack. Jack wasn't totally shaved, unsurprisingly, but his beard was trimmed as close to his face as Michael had ever seen it before. And Geoff? Well, to put it one way, Geoff would have quite some time before he could curl his mustache again.

Michael was trembling a little, catching on around Ryan just what they had done and why. His face was flushing, love swelling up inside at the thought of them all doing this for him.

"Morning Michael."

Geoff said with a gentle smile. Michael smiled back shakily.

"Morning Geoff. You guys look like shit."

They all burst out laughing, relief bubbling over them as they realized Michael wouldn't get mad about them realizing what was bothering him. Gavin joined in as the other man sat down, grinning widely.

"Sorry if we can't all pull off the fresh face like you can. Some of us really aren't meant to be without a beard."

"You're telling me. I look like I'm fucking 12 again."

Ray grumbled, the group chuckling and agreeing. Michael was still smiling, piling up his plate with food.

"Sorry Jack didn't do it the whole way, we couldn't get him to go all the way."

"It's for your own good, Ryan. The moment you guys see me beardless, you'll kick me out of the group. My attractiveness is all in the beard."

"I love you beard or no beard, Jack."

Michael replied, the other men looking at him lovingly.

"And we love you just the same."


End file.
